The present invention relates to a method for producing, by electroforming, a nozzle body having an inner jacket surface whose slope can be made variable and, in particular, can undergo a change in direction with respect to an axis of symmetry.
It has been found that for the generation of intensive cluster radiation (e.g. deuterium or gases) or to focus corpuscular radiation (e.g. liquid mediums), the configuration of the nozzles used is an important parameter. The conventional manufacture of metal nozzles has been found to be rather difficult because of the requirements which must be met for desired configuration, surface quality, reproducibility and number of items. According to the conventional manufacturing process, a good tip turner works, for example, about 12 to 14 working days to produce one copper trumpet nozzle. This does not take into account the possibility of rejects which are no rarity for such complicated workpieces that often have the narrowest of bores with diameters of less than 0.1 mm and a length of 20 to 40 mm.
Likewise, the use of glass nozzles has been found to be impractical because of the difficulties in precisely reproducing a given shape and in mounting the nozzles, particularly at low temperatures. The poorer conductivity of glass compared to metals may possibly be an additional problem.
The manufacture of metal nozzles, particularly copper nozzles, by means of a known electroforming process would meet all of the requirements if one could be assured of the precision of the reproduction of a given shape, the surface quality, the number of items produced and the reliability of the process with a very low number of rejects.
In the applicable art, the term "electroforming process" is understood to mean an electrolytic metal deposition in thicker layers on a prefabricated metallic or nonmetallic negative or base body, which constitutes a mold for the interior surface of the resulting nozzle. Generally, the material to be deposited is copper or nickel. The quantity of apparatus required to practice the method is only slightly greater than that for decorative metal refinement.
The difficulties in the manufacture of nozzles with very small diameters (e.g., 0.1 mm and less) according to the electroforming process lie in the lack of dimensional accuracy of the base body, particularly at the junctions at critical points near the narrowest nozzle cross sections where the slope changes or even reverses direction with respect to the axis of rotational symmetry of the nozzle body or of the base body.